A Moment in Time in Greenwich Village
by John Flood, Library Manager, Grand Central Branch LibraryJune 13, 2011

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There is something about a photograph that speaks of permanence, but what it captures is the quintessence of the ephemeral — a moment in time.

Drew Martin has captured a neighborhood in time — Greenwich Village, April 2011 — in his current show at Hudson Park Library: UNDER THE HOOD: New York. Over 250 black and white photographs with personal comments document the people, pets, and places around Hudson Park Library.

UNDER THE HOOD: New York is the fourth show in a series by the artist, who first did a similar project in his home neighborhood of Ridgewood, New Jersey, which was followed by UNDER THE HOOD: Los Angeles and UNDER THE HOOD: Prague.

This show came about as a way to define and document the part of New York that has been this artist’s work neighborhood for the past 11 years, but the project quickly turned into something different: a spark of new friendships and new discoveries.

In 2004, Drew Martin graduated with a Master's Degree in Media Studies from The New School after defending his thesis on the relationship of images and text. He is the director of The Museum of Peripheral Art, which explores how people interact with and interpret art and media, in order to provide a unique experience, which the original might not convey.

Taking pictures of the local "color" is a wonderful way to get to know a neighborhood and your neighbors and done over time results in an important history of the area. It's great that the New York Public Library system is supporting this project.